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Malakhia d'Zarnagon
Grand Duke Malakhia d'Zarnagon was an ancient archdemon who managed to cheat death several times. He was the husband of Grand Duchess Nhrakate d'Zarnagon and the father of Omaroch d'Zarnagon and Midori Mizushima among many others. He was the head of the House of Zarnagon until his wife banished him to the Land of the Living. He caused much grief while he roamed the earth, and he eventually orchestrated a grand plot which led to his resurrection as the Godslayer. Biography Early Years Banishment Malakhia d'Zarnagon reigned as the Grand Duke of demons and as the head of the House of Zarnagon for a long time. He fathered many children, including his youngest son, Omaroch. According to tales he was betrayed by his power-hungry wife Nhrakate d'Zarnagon, however, and was cast out of the Demon Realm into the Land of the Living. Oracle of Barjassil Malakhia eventually ended up in the human nation Barjassil where he began calling himself the Oracle and eventually entered King Anshar's court. During his stay in the capital Malakhia discovered that the king held a valuable gem named the Dragon Diamond in his collection behind a powerful warding spell. He had learned the diamond's origins and what it could truly accomplish: free the dark dragon Frazzn'korth which could then help whoever commanded it to do anything they desired. In order to steal the diamond from the king, Malakhia would need help, though, so he eventually set his eyes on outlaws calling themselves the Band of the Fox. With such skilled thieves' help Malakhia could achieve his objective and use the Dragon Diamond to have his revenge on Nhrakate and perhaps even conquer both Barjassil and the Demon Realm. With this plan in mind, he promised to help Anshar find the fairest maiden in the land who could give birth to a healthy heir and thus ensure prosperity to the kingdom. While doing so, Malakhia made sure to spread rumours about the valuable diamond and thus get the Band of the Fox interested in stealing it. Malakhia's plan was a success. One of the Band's members, Haruko Mizushima, fell into his trap and managed to attract Anshar who made her his wife. It was then Malakhia introduced himself as the Oracle and slowly but surely got into Haruko's good graces. He knew all along that she had only married the king to get a hold of the diamond, but he didn't reveal he had similar intentions at first. It took a while before the two warmed up to each other, and it was then Malakhia used his demonic charm to slowly but surely seduce Haruko while keeping his true, demonic form secret from her. Malakhia's and Haruko's secret affair led to Haruko getting pregnant and eventually giving birth to a healthy half-demon girl, Midori Mizushima, while they made it look like the daughter was actually Anshar's. It was then that Malakhia manipulated events and Haruko learned his true nature too late. She barely escaped from the castle alive, but Anshar now hated her for trying to steal his treasure. Midori remained in the castle and was renamed Princess Xezbeth as Anshar still believed her to be his. Haruko swore to return and reclaim her daughter one day, and she became an infamous rogue known as the Enchantress of the Spring who had a big bounty on her head. Path to Amnesia Years later Malakhia's and Haruko's paths crossed again when Haruko kept true to her word and tried to steal both Midori and the Dragon Diamond from Castle Barjassil after she had finally figured out how to access the king's treasure chamber. She was confronted by Malakhia who explained that all her actions had been according to his grand design and that now he had both her and their daughter under his power. It was only thanks to a sudden intervention from Haruko's lover Katsutoshi Kobayashi that she and Midori managed to slip through Malakhia's fingers. Malakhia wasted no time, however, and used the ambition of Captain Gilgamesh of the Royal Guard to hunt down Haruko, Katsutoshi and the rest of the Band of the Fox. They bribed one of the Band's members, Koschei Dravaris, to side with them and help them locate the Band. During one of the pursuits Koschei's treachery to his team mates forced Haruko to leave Midori behind, and Malakhia seized the opportunity and took his half-demon daughter back before sending her to one of her close acquaintances in the Demon Realm for "safekeeping" and "grooming" until the time was right for Midori to return to the Land of the Living. Koschei's treachery was eventually revealed to Haruko and the rest of the Band, but by that time Malakhia, Gilgamesh and a few royal guards had already tracked them and the Dragon Diamond down. A battle ensued during which people from both sides lost their lives. Malakhia stole the Dragon Diamond from Haruko and demonstrated its powers combined with his when he injured two gods, Dionysus and Laverna, with it. However, the power of the diamond was too great, and Malakhia wasn't prepared for a backlash as the magic reacted violently to its forced use. As a result Malakhia and the diamond were teleported away from the scene of battle, and Malakhia also became amnesiac due to the shock and thus wasn't around to see if his plan had come to fruition and what fate would befall Haruko. Although he couldn't remember who he was, Malakhia's ambition remained. He pulled the strings in the background, playing gods and various mortal factions against one another. He faked his death many times in order to fool his opponents, and this worked every time. Despite many seeming failures, all of these actually served to further his grand goal to take over the world one step at a time. However, his amnesia was often his greatest obstacle because it manifested his demonic bloodlust and often made him temporarily forget his real goal and made him concentrate on senseless slaughter instead. Darkness Within Sinister Plans Malakhia got his memories back after the Explosion thanks to the burst of magical energy caused by the collective deaths of the Andain. began plotting to take over the world in full force. He took the identity of a noble Remonian knight named Cedric Malak and allied with a rogue group of knights called the Fire Lizards. His intention was to locate the Dragon Diamond and use its powers to revive the dark dragon Frazzn'korth and force the world to submit under his rule. Then he would take his new legions and reconquer the Demon Realm and make his wife pay for her treachery. His newfound ambition forced him to act against the interests of the Order of the Black Rose and his youngest son, Omaroch, who happened to be around at the time. Father and son clashed a few times before Malakhia's seemingly died in the temple of Shakkan. However, Malakhia had only faked his death yet again and bided his time in the ruins while he let his minions in the Fire Lizards to do the job for him. It was around this time that he finally realized that Omaroch was in fact of his son. Showdown Once the Fire Lizards had succeeded in their goal to locate powerful artifacts which to use with the Dragon Diamond, Malakhia dug himself out of the rubble of the collapsed temple and took the artifacts with him while Omaroch finished off the remaining Fire Lizards. He confronted a group of heroes led by Omaroch at the Ruined Kingdom, about to revive Frazzn'korth at long last, and told him how they were related. He asked Omaroch to join him and take over the world, knowing that such ambition was what every demon would dream of. However, to Malakhia's surprise the once selfish Omaroch had changed by then and no longer wished to harm the world he had learned to love. This infuriated Malakhia who promised to crush everyone who tried to stop him from realizing his dream. The resulting battle was epic in scope, and he even killed the goddess Heath and many of Omaroch's friends in the process. Just when all hope seemed lost, Omaroch harnessed the power of his slain friends and with their help he was able to battle evenly with Malakhia for a while. Despite Malakhia's rage, Omaroch utilized his newfound power, the love of his family and friends, to gain necessary strength to sacrifice his lifeforce to thwart Malakhia. The archdemon could hardly believe how strong his son had grown, and he was sucked into the Dragon Diamond in the blink of an eye, only a moment before he would've released the dark dragon. Omaroch threw the Dragon Diamond into a nearby stream and left the Ruined Kingdom behind in disgust. The diamond remained hidden for decades with the spirits of Malakhia and Frazzn'korth trapped within. However, Malakhia was not yet done. When he had realized that he would lose the battle against his empowered son, he had managed to transfer a part of his spirit into the swords Inferno and Smaragdos which he had wielded. Everything turned out just as he had planned when Omaroch picked up the swords and took them with him. Malakhia knew that as long as the artifacts, the two blades and the Dragon Diamond would be brought together in the Ruined Kingdom, he and Frazzn'korth would be released from their prison and resume taking over the world. Distreyd Era Spirit Advisor Malakhia's spirit was quite powerful, and he manipulated Omaroch's subconscious by making him leave the two swords for his sons Kareth and Refan. Other demons soon forcibly took Omaroch back to the Demon Realm to be brainwashed, and Malakhia did whatever he could with his remaining spiritual powers to make sure that the blades would never leave Kareth and Refan's side. This manipulation continued throughout the years as Malakhia's spirit influenced both Refan and Kareth (who eventually became known as Zarnagon) subtly through the two blades by making the two men hear voices in their heads. These voices goaded Refan to begin his path towards his inner, half-demonic darkness through various means such as making him drink blood and kill in a frenzy. Meanwhle the voices also made Zarnagon aware of the existence of the Dragon Diamond and fueled his ambition to find the artifacts necessary to set Frazzn'korth free. Rebirth Unbeknownst to both men Malakhia also used an ancient prophecy for his own ends by turning Refan and Zarnagon into each others' archenemies. He hoped that this conflict would provide the necessary, prophesied catalyst which would tranfer his essence to one of the swords and thus bring him one step closer to revival. The plan turned out to be a success when Refan and Zarnagon fought a brutal duel during the Second Battle of Myridia in their demonic forms. As a result Malakhia's essence was transfered into Inferno, Zarnagon's blade, and his power over Zarnagon grew exponentially. Zarnagon and the brainwashed Omaroch, who had been acting as his and Refan's guardian under orders from Nhrakate, left for the Ruined Kingdom to revive the dark dragon and use the dragon's powers to help Mardük while the horrified Refan fled with the now depowered Smaragdos to Remon. As soon as Zarnagon and Omaroch reached the Ruined Kingdom, however, Malakhia fueled Zarnagon's ambition even more and goaded him to betray Omaroch and Mardük. It turned out that the grandfather and grandson shared similar interests to rule the world without Mardük's meddling, and they stabbed Omaroch in the back. Malakhia and Zarnagon realized their grand dream by merging with the dark dragon Frazzn'korth. The three consciousness transformed into a dreaded being which would become known as the Godslayer. In the end Malakhia's vision of the future came true as the emergence of the Godslayer caused the Cataclysm and ushered in a new era: The Age of Emptiness. Godslayer Era :Main article: Godslayer Aliases and Nicknames ; Cedric Malak : Malakhia's alias after he had assumed the identity and looks of the real Cedric, the leader of the Fire Lizards. ; Grand Duke : Malakhia's title in the Demon Realm before his banishment. ; Oracle : His title in the Court of Barjassil. Appearance Malakhia's form changed over the years, but his later human form resembled a middle-aged, white-haired man who wore a red armor. Think of an older Freddie Mercury in a fantasy setting. Personality and Traits A cruel, intelligent and manipulative person. His complex plots and his charisma made him into an archetypal magnificent bastard. Powers and Abilities Malakhia's powers were immense although he preferred to save his full strength for demanding battles. He was one of the most powerful red mages, and the difference between him and an ordinary red mage was that he was a skilled warrior and he ''also knew many high-level black and white magic spells, making him even more powerful than an average pure warrior or pure mage. His swordsmanship skills were beyond anything most people had ever seen. In his guise as Cedric Malak he could summon minor fire elementals and he could not be harmed with fire at all. He could even absorb people's Innate Abilities and add them to his already impressive arsenal. In his full demon form he was very powerful and could renegerate quickly. He could breathe fire and fly for a long period of time. In short: he was an unstoppable killing machine. However, his major flaw was his arrogance, and he was eventually bested by a group of people who worked together to defeat him. He had not anticipated co-operation among his enemies and that turned to be his downfall. Relationships Antigonus de Ardyn Malakhia's plans were often thwarted by Antigonus and the Order of the Black Rose. The man became a nuisance but Malakhia's minions failed to assassinate him. However, Malakhia soon discovered a way to get rid of such a powerful opponent by making him fight against Omaroch instead. This action helped Malakhia ensure that Omaroch would eventually destroy Antigonus and the Order. Belial de Ardyn Malakhia managed to influence Antigonus through Belial. He also found out about Belial's connections to Vanna and ensured that demons would eventually find their way to the desert city. Belial was not happy working with demons, and his association with Malakhia eventually made him understand the threat Omaroch posed, but it came too late as the Order had already been decimated by then just as Malakhia had wanted to happen all along. Cedric Malak Malakhia ended up meeting a knight named Sir Cedric Malak in Remon. He saw ambition in the man and eventually tricked him and took his identity. Cedric was sent into an asylum, and Malakhia thought he would never see him again, but this turned out to be false when Cedric arrived with Omaroch to the Ruined Kingdom and gave his life to put an end to Malakhia's plans. Frazzn'korth Malakhia found his match in Frazzn'korth who was as devious as he was. Both planned to use the other for their own ends, but things backfired when they ended up inside the same Dragon Diamond where they remained until Kareth d'Zarnagon transformed them and himself into the Godslayer. Haruko Mizushima Haruko and Malakhia had an affair which resulted in the birth of their child Midori who would later be known as Jezebeth. Although they seemed to be in love at first, Malakhia was only manipulating Haruko for his own ends. By the time Haruko realized this, she was understandably upset, especially after she found out that Malakhia was now using their daughter for some sinister goal. Haruko swore to put an end to Malakhia's schemes and any of his progeny even if took millennia for his plans to end in ruin. Kareth d'Zarnagon Malakhia found a good target in his grandson Kareth who he manipulated to set him free. His influence twisted Kareth's mind and eventually ensured his victory when Kareth released him and Frazzn'korth from the Dragon Diamond and fused into the Godslayer. Nhrakate d'Zarnagon Malakhia and Nhrakate got along so well that Malakhia did not even realize he had been betrayed until it was too late. He lost his memories during his banishment from the Demon Realm and only realized millennia later that his wife had betrayed him. This led to Malakhia's plan to wipe out the demon race with the help of Frazzn'korth. Omaroch d'Zarnagon Malakhia had never cared much about his progeny. Omaroch messed up his plans several times, and infuriated him. Malakhia revealed that he was in fact Omaroch's father prior to their climactic duel in the Ruined Kingdom. Despite their bloodline Omaroch fought against his father and sealed him into the Dragon Diamond. Shakkan Malakhia really pissed Shakkan off when he sent his minions to steal the Dragon Diamond and slaughtered several of Shakkan's dear Dire Wolves. The two had two duels, but each time Shakkan lost because Malakhia was leeching power from the Dragon Diamond. He caused Shakkan much grief by single-handedly slaying Heath, a minor goddess who had been Shakkan's dear friend. See also *Cedric Malak *Darkness Within *Dragon Diamond *Fire Lizards *Godslayer *Haruko Mizushima *House of Zarnagon *Inferno *Order of the Black Rose *Shakkan *Smaragdos Category:Aison Category:Barjassil Category:Characters Category:Clergy of Mardük Category:Demons Category:Fire Lizards Category:First Age Category:House of Zarnagon Category:Third Age